The Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC) is a smartcard installed in a mobile communication terminal and it stores private information such as subscriber's network access authentication information, phonebooks, and SMS messages.
The UICC generates subscriber authentication and traffic security in connecting to a mobile communication network such as GSM, WCDMA, and LTE networks, for secure mobile communication.
The UICC is a SIM, USIM, or ISIM application depending on the type of the mobile communication network to which the subscriber connects. The UICC also provides a high level security function for installing various applications such as electronic wallet, ticketing, and electronic passport applications.
The conventional UICC is manufactured on demand as a dedicated card for a specific mobile communication operator. Accordingly, the authentication information (e.g. USIM application, IMSI, and K value) for connection to the corresponding operator network is stored in the UICC in the manufacturing stage. The mobile communication operator provides the subscriber with the manufactured UICC and, if necessary, may perform remote management to install, update, and delete application in the UICC through an Over The Air (OTA) technology. The subscriber may insert the UICC into a mobile communication terminal to use the corresponding mobile communication operator's network and application services and, if necessary, may detach the UICC from the terminal and attach to another terminal so as to use the authentication information, contacts, and phonebooks stored in the corresponding UICC with the new terminal as they were.